Roundabout Romance
by AnHeiressofaSOLDIER
Summary: Roxas and Xion are freaked out by love after researching it. They are wary when Axel says they act like a couple. Trying to avoid it at all costs, Roxas and Xion may just have to deal with dating blues before they go back to normal. Humor/fluff. Oneshot.


**Roundabout Romance**

The ever setting sun was descending upon the burg known as Twilight Town. As a particular trinity sat atop their favorite Clock Tower, it was almost easy to believe the sun was emitting a brightness much like the current party's. Though Roxas wasn't sure exactly what had started it, he too was playing the game "let's see how much we can nudge each other before we snap."

Elbows were flying, hands smacking, faces evading; it was a mess. But it was the mess Roxas lived for, and he wouldn't have traded it for all the ice cream in the world. Still, he had to stop their carelessness when Axel's free hand nearly knocked Xion off the Station Tower. Remembering all too well how she'd fallen before, Roxas extended a hand towards her. Thankfully, the situation wasn't as dire as last time, and Roxas's steadying hand was enough to keep the girl safely seated in her spot.

The moment the shock wore off, Roxas' best friend was quick to note Roxas' chivalrous act. "Look, that little shove was harmless. Don't be the overprotective boyfriend, Rox." It was clear in the way that Axel plopped his melting Sea-Salt ice cream bar into his mouth, that Axel hadn't expected his words to hold any weight. But they did. And would. Oh how they would.

Maybe that was why he was so surprised when the young man leaned forward and splurted, "What?" as though Axel had put salt on an injury.

Axel looked at Roxas warily. He also chanced a look at Xion who seemed to be "feeling" much the way Roxas was. He spoke softly and more carefully when he said, "Come on, you two always talk about each other, you're always together, you're both protective... I mean, you even partake in first date behavior since we eat enough ice cream..."

Xion's eyebrows rows significantly at the last part. She turned the treat this way and that. It was almost as if she expected it to sprout legs and walk away or something. "Couples eat ice cream on dates?" Xion asked with her eyes still firmly planted on the blue bar.

Axel rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. He was wondering, not for the first time, why he hung around with two that always asked awkward questions. Sighing, he prepared to answer the best way he knew how: he made a joke of it. "I'm surprised you two even know what dating is."

Axel's ploy worked. Xion's attention returned to Axel. She was frowning, and her eyebrows were down turned when she exclaimed, "Hey! Don't make me come over there."

The redhead chuckled at Xion's typical response. She, at least, was acting normal again. Axel leaned closer to Xion behind Roxas' shoulder, and he smirked. "Get a new comeback, Xion."

Xion rolled her eyes, but she wasn't able to keep her smile at bay when she taunted, "Get a new catchphrase."

"You didn't answer the question, Axel." At the blond's words, Axel's thoughts returned to the matter at hand. How best to explain this when the subject seemed offensive to the teens? In the end, he thought it best to go with his own experiences, "Well, when I was a Somebody, I know a lot of people went to ice cream parlors on first dates. They also went on later dates, too. Look guys, it's no big deal. And there's nothing wrong with liking each-"

"But that's just it!" Axel reluctantly turned to the distressing Roxas. Oddly, Xion was nodding her head in agreement, as if she knew exactly what he was going to say. "You see, I don't want to be with Xion in that way!" Roxas took a deep breath, and Axel couldn't help but feel the action was useless as Roxas began talking really fast, and really passionately. "Xaldin's idea that love was a weakness didn't set right with me. So I began researching it with Xion." Well, that explained why Xion was agreeing with Roxas' deluded sentiments. Before Axel could really process that though, Roxas was shooting off again. "And some of the stuff is just weird. I got this new book to read, and-"

Whatever Roxas was going to say, Axel tuned it out as he noted there _was_ in fact a book sitting on the empty space beside Xion. Using a bit of Aero magic, he brought the book into his hands, and instantly wished he hadn't. There were some _pictures_ he hadn't thought about since he'd become a Nobody. He looked at Roxas cautiously when Sora's Nobody concluded, "The relationship stuff just seems too weird. Xion agrees. But hopefully that book can help us understand more."

Oh, the book would only help depending on the person's definiton. It definitely didn't belong in a game rated E10+ by Disney. Instead of saying this, Axel said the only thing he'd been able to think of since Roxas' spiel had started, "I'm not surprised you don't get it with no memories or heart, but I think I'm most shocked that you can read."

Roxas stuck a tongue out at Axel, and the pyromaniac laughed. But as he noted the kids examining their ice cream again, he had a feeling that their "icing on the cake" tradition was coming to an end. Things were definitely going to get _interesting_.

As if they were purposefully trying to ruin their mundane lives, Xion tapped her forehead thoughtfully, and voiced her thoughts. "I don't get the whole kissing thing. People use tongues, right? And they shove them down each other's throats? Well, I got a Fire Plant Heartless' leaf down my throat once, and it was painful. How can kissing be better?"

Axel was prepared to inform Xion of what he knew, and maybe tease her about trying to get intimate with a lost heart, but Roxas interrupted him. "Yeah. I know what you mean. After all, when we were in Agrabah, and had run from that Cave, I bumped my lips against your hand remember? It was like the sand around us! Why would I want to touch your gross skin, then?"

Axel, very much, wanted to groan at how "smooth" Roxas could be, but maybe if he played it cool, Xion wouldn't note the insult there.

No dice. With a rather sad look on her face, she pressed her hands to her throat, and said, "My skin, and therefore lips, are gross feeling like sand?"

Roxas, unfortunately, didn't have the decency to leave that unanswered. But before Roxas could say anything worse, Axel blurted out the first thing he could think of. Admittedly, it might have been best to let Roxas have his way. Because his, "You guys don't have to worry! If anything, Roxas will probably end up with Naminé," was indeed problematic.

Xion, somehow, looked close to tears. Roxas, however, was now insanely curious. "Who's that?" He asked as he cocked his head to the side.

"Oh, no one important. Just a girl I think you'd be friends with. You should meet her some time!" Axel corrected lamely. He'd officially had enough.

As Axel created a Corridor of Darkness, and quickly escaped, he'd soon be wishing he'd stayed in the (for the most part) normal moment more than he had.

...

And so the days passed in much the way they always did. The trio went on missions, got injured, almost overheated in their cloaks, and had an all around okay time. But there was one thing that wasn't the same.

For that reason, it was no surprise to Roxas when he found Axel waiting for him without Xion. It was his fault, after all. But if Xion didn't want to deal with the oddities of "going out", she'd show up at the Clock Tower, right? The two were still best friends, but they had deemed it better to stay away from "date like" encounters. The only downside: Roxas and Axel were seriously running out of things to talk about.

Axel missed Xion; it was obvious. And Roxas was half tempted to tell _him_ to date Xion, if he thought Roxas was too boring by himself. As Roxas looked at their unchanging world (a lie, of course, because everything had changed whether he wanted to admit it or not), he was surprised at the jealousy that came over him when he thought that. He was even more surprised to note he was feeling things he should be incapable of. Maybe it was this that made him broach the subject he didn't even want to think about. "Why would you want to stay with the same person forever?"

"I'm sorry?" Axel asked as he savored his ice cream bar, and wished Roxas and Xion would go back to the way they'd been. Roxas' hands looked oddly empty without the familiar bar. But ever since Axel's misreading of the situation, Roxas and Xion had made sure they stayed away from the salty treat. Axel very much would have kicked the tower in frustration, but since it would only serve in making his work harder, he restrained himself.

Roxas sighed as he looked out at the horizon. It had seemed to darknen somehow, and he now found it difficult to find words where it had once been so easy. He thought about all the things he missed. Xion, ice cream, Xion, missions with Xion, giving in and training with Xion, friendship... Wait. Was that his answer? Was that why the insanity was worth it? Roxas didn't know, and he thought it best to ask the red head. However, his idea that Axel knew everything had greatly started to decrease since the last time he'd seen Xion. Did he mention he missed Xion? Oh well, best to put those thoughts aside. Roxas did just that as he (for no reason) dusted his hands on his cloak and looked over at Axel. "If love is just another version of friendship, why would you limit yourself? Why wouldn't you want to love as much as you could? I mean, you and Xion are my best friends, but I like Hayner, Pence, and Olette."

"But there's a difference, isn't there?" Axel said expertly, as he seemed to look to the sky and tick his thoughts off with his fingers. "You can live without those three. But can you live without me? Can you survive without Xion?" Axel had a smirk on his face at his words, but as Axel's eyes became distant, Roxas couldn't help feel he'd broached a subject he shouldn't have.

Putting his hands behind his head self-consciously, Roxas staggered onto the next topic rather gracelessly. "And why would you want to see your partner undressed? Xion's cloak symbolizes she's my equal and companion. It shows me I can trust her. So what's the big deal about seeing her naked?"

If Axel hadn't long since finished his ice cream, he would have spit it out. And what a waste that would have been! Once he'd recovered, Axel laughed. He then mumbled under his breath, "At least I won't lose the bet I made with Xigbar that you _won't_ get Xion pregnant by the end of this year." Roxas hadn't heard Axel, and the fire lover was ever glad for it when he slung a hand over the younger man's shoulder, and enjoyed his cluelessness a little too much. "I'll tell you one last thing, Roxas. You and Xion are well on your way to becoming an old married couple that hates each other if you don't remedy this. So I'm not going to give you anymore advice. For all your effort, you _are_ dealing with the ramifications of being a couple. But you're forgetting the good parts."

Summoning a Corridor of Darkness, Axel was once again gone like a wisp of smoke.

...

Maybe not surprisingly to you by now, dear reader, Roxas never got the courage to try and fix things with Xion. After all, to approach her would put weight on Axel's words. It would mean they were acting like a couple despite their best efforts. So he went with her on the missions they had to, talked to her if/when he saw her, but that was it. They didn't spend anytime together if they weren't already grouped together. Maybe that's why Roxas was so shocked when he came home from a very long and difficult mission, and saw Xion lounging on his bed. He gasped, and his eyes bugged out.

As far as he knew, he had never seen Xion in his room before. But this wasn't what shocked him. Xion dove off of Roxas' bed, and she was apologizing before he could say anything. "I'm sorry for making myself at home, but I didn't know when you'd be back, and I wanted to talk to yo-"

"What are you wearing?" Roxas asked much more rudely than he'd intended, but he'd never seen Xion in anything other than her cloak. Now she was wearing a fitted emerald green dress with a gold trim. With her flip flops, and hair in a little ponytail, she was more exposed than he'd ever seen her. Suddenly, Roxas could understand the draw of seeing a girl with fewer layers. Xion looked stunning. He could even see her red underwear line, if he looked close enough. Roxas' eyes returned to Xion's before she could realize what he'd been doing. Or, rather, where he'd been looking.

The girl frowned, and there was murder in her eyes, when she recanted, "A Dual Blade Heartless tore my cloak to shreds. That one's being washed, so this is all I had. I didn't want to get caught in my underwear by Saïx. I already feel like I'm performing in my underwear around him."

"But-" Roxas actually had no idea what he was protesting to: her excuses, her fear of Saïx, her insulting Saïx when his room was across from Roxas', or all of the above. Or maybe it was none of them. Finally, he regained the ability to speak and spluttered, "Your clothes!" He had no idea what he was talking about. Apparently his mind wasn't as unclouded as he'd thought.

Xion was not happy when she folded her arms across her chest. Roxas knew this as much as he knew Xion couldn't _not_ pick up sea shells at the beach. Looking away, Roxas thought it might be a nice time to mull over his room. White was cool, right? And not having blankets: he was just an awesome rebel, wasn't he? Hiding his Diary under his bed: a stoke of genius!

Apparently, ignoring Xion was not the answer. She stomped her foot angrily, and looked to all the world that she was plotting murder on Roxas now instead of the Heartless. "Do I look bad, Roxas? I bet if that Naminé girl was wearing this," she muttered under her breath. She seemed to be looking at the mirror in front of her distastefully, and Roxas suddenly regretted buying the blasted thing. It was truly a waste of five thousand munny.

Perhaps expecting Roxas to not answer again, Xion strode over to the mirror. She put a hand under her chin, as she looked for her very soul. It was barely a whisper when she pondered, "Do you think it's weird we're Organization XIII and not Organization XIV?"

Not knowing the purpose for Xion's question, but glad for the subject change, Roxas quickly answered, "Of course not! The Organization just inspired fear in people with that name first; now they're just liable to keep it that."

Xion smiled at Roxas through the mirror, and Roxas found he was nearly drowning in the warmth of it. He began walking to her of his own accord, and smiled wider when he put a hand atop Xion's shoulder. It wasn't lost to him that she put a hand over his own. How he'd missed the sweet Xion! But, typical for her, she didn't seem entirely convinced. "You don't think it's because they don't see me as a member?"

"Don't be ridiculous! Xemnas, Xigbar, Xaldin, Saïx, Luxord, Axel, and I all know you'd kick our asses if we tried any bull like that." Xion smiled widely at that, and turned to Roxas so he could see her real smile perfectly. It seemd that her troubles were far away for now. Roxas was good and didn't breathe a sigh of relief when he looked into Xion's lovely blue eyes.

Xion giggled at Roxas' answer, and Roxas tried very hard to not compare the feeling that was swimming through him to those he had read about. Though he had to admit he was probably grinning like an idiot. "Not Demyx?" Xion asked happily, but also curiously.

"Xion," Roxas chided, as he put his hands on her shoulders subconsciously, "It'd be an insult to anyone if they couldn't beat Demyx. There was no need to include that. Besides, you wouldn't need to fight him, anyway. He likes you." Roxas had to bite on his cheek to keep it unknown how much that bothered him. He hadn't expected that reaction when he said what he did. He wanted to take the statement back, but that would probably be more awkward, so he left it alone.

Xion's answer, however, was just what he needed to perk up again. "Like you're supposed to like Naminé?"

Roxas laughed at the easy banter he'd missed, but nodded whole heartedly. "Exactly." Finally, Roxas found it in him to fix what he should have long ago. He only wished it didn't take her degrading herself for him to do it. "I miss you, Xion. Let's act the way we used to, okay?"

Xion's face lit up like a Christmas tree, and she acted subconsciously, too. She threw her hands around Roxas, and hugged him to her tightly. She even kissed his cheek lightly, but Roxas didn't think his face was very light anymore. He was probably blushing beet red! "I miss you too, Roxas," the fourteenth member whispered into his ear. "I don't want the few memories I have of you to be like they have been."

And after the gushy sentiments were over and done with. After they extracted themselves from each other embarrasedly, the two returned to the way they'd been before.

...

About a week or so later, Roxas felt like he was on top of the world. He litterally whistled while he worked. He allowed more missions than humanly possible to be ordered on him, and he was buying everyone ice cream in large gallons. If Axel wouldn't have been so glad to have things normal again, he probably would have joked they were all going to get fat. Though he did tease Roxas that, "You're acting like someone who just lost the big V," and though Roxas had read the certain book from earlier, he still had no idea what his best friend was talking about. For once, he didn't care.

So it was with their comradery again, that Roxas wasn't surprised when he peeked into Xion's room, and saw her partly naked as she came out of the shower. Was he surprised? No. Was it ironic that he was seeing her "dressed" differently exactly a week later? Yes.

Xion was definitely surprised though. She squealed when she saw him, and instantly put a towel around herself. But she ushered him in anyway. "Careful," she said sarcastically. "I'm not wearing my cloak."

Oh. She still thought he hadn't liked her in her outfit. He needed to assure her that that wasn't the case, and he prepared to do just that. It felt so good to not be holding back anything again! "Actually, I don't mind you naked. That way you're just the pure Xion I know and adore. There's nothing obstructing that. But I do like your clothes!" Roxas was quick to assure her.

Xion's face went through a dozen different emotions, and Roxas was so happy now, he actually wasn't fearing for his life with them. Finally, the girl seemed to settle on the good natured behavior that was, well, Xion. She laughed, as she walked forward and poked Roxas in the chest. "You're silly. And are just being a pervert like page sixty-nine of that book says."

"You're silly for thinking 69 has anything to do with words," Roxas countered. He shuddered from that thought. He may not have gotten a lot of things, but he was a guy. A guy that had read a certain thing. A guy that was looking at a wet, pretty girl in a snug towel. It was definitely best to not focus on any of those thoughts. Instead, Roxas looked around Xion's room. All the colors were nice. As were the shape cut outs, her ocean blue comforter, sandy carpet, and craft table. It was a nice room, he thought. And for some reason unknown to him, he had the strong desire to go crazy with the scisors and cut out snowflakes.

Shaking his head out of the bizarre thought, Roxas returned his attention to Xion. As it was, Xion didn't seem to have a suitable response for what he'd said. Instead, she made sure her towel was firmly in place, and she leapt at him. As their lips met, everything suddenly made sense to the two Organizers. They stumbled onto Xion's bed, and their giggling cut them off short. When they'd calmed down, Xion spoke through a fit of giggles. "That was definitely better than being choked by a Fire Plant." At the same moment, Roxas had said, "Your lips and skin aren't sandy!"

And then Roxas had to chortle at the ridiculousness of it all. Somehow, by fighting this, they'd become what they feared by just being themselves. And they were better for it. Sure Xion may have clonked her head on the foot of the bed. Sure Axel might tease them relentlessly. Sure Roxas didn't know a lot, but Roxas knew they were acting a lot better and naturally. That was all that mattered. It was with this resolve that Roxas said, "Let's be together, Xion, but not change anything about us. It's why I love you, and why we work. So we'll have our cloaks, have each other, but most importantly... we'll have ice cream."

Roxas' answer was a kiss that wasn't sandy or choking, wasn't like anything he would have imagined with Olette or Naminé, and it wasn't weird in the least. Their thesis had been proven wrong, and yet right at the same time. Xaldin had been wrong. They had been wrong. And they were finding love certainly wasn't a weakness.

**Author's Note: The, "let's see how much we can nudge each other before we snap" scene is the one from Days. You know, the one that plays through Roxas and Riku's fight.**

**"Yeah. I know what you mean. After all, when we were in Agrabah, and had run from that Cave, I bumped my lips against your hand remember? It was like the sand around us! Why would I want to touch your gross skin, then?" That's sort of an inside joke. I used that scene in a gmv, but two of my friends thought it looked different than what I did. I thought it looked like Xion was putting her hand on Roxas' head or shoulder. Danielle thought it looked like Roxas was kissing her hand, and Sherwin thought it looked like Roxas was eating Xion's hand. LOL. In reality, I think Xion's just gesturing with her hand, but the angle makes it look like it's on Roxas. To find the pic I'm talking about, search "RokuShi Day - She Said Video" on deviantArt by DenizenofTwilight (me).**

**"Tada! We now have 5000 munny!" That is the reason why the mirror was that much. LOL.**

**69... if you don't get it, I'm so not explaining it. LOL. Gosh, there's so much innuendo, and breaking the fourth wall humor in this! I think I was inspired by "Romance Novels" by ****Sir-Shademan**** on fanfiction (it's a RokuShi story), and Sora + Kairi's Wedding by Michael2002 on deviantArt (it's a SoKai and RokuNami story).**

**"Instead, Roxas looked around Xion's room. All the colors were nice. As were the shape cut outs, her ocean blue comforter, sandy carpet, and craft table. It was a nice room, he thought. And for some reason unknown to him, he had the strong desire to go crazy with the scisors and cut out snowflakes." Totally referencing my RokuShi story "Quiet Like the Snow" here. If you want to know what it's all about, give it a read. LOL.**

**"Let's be together, Xion, but not change anything about us. It's why I love you, and why we work. So we'll have our cloaks, have each other, but most importantly... we'll have ice cream." LOL. This explains so much. In my book, they were together in Days, but just decided to act natural. At least this explains Roxas' "Who else will I have ice cream with?" line. Silly Square. I actually loved that line when I thought about it, but it's still silly to the average listener.**

**I called them "organizers" because of Captain Jack Sparrow. "I don't know who these organizers are, but they're making we pirates look like proper gents!" Hahaha.**

**Anyway, I wrote this/had this idea awhile ago. Don't know why I didn't post it until now. I think this is my funniest/fluffiest story ever. Gosh, I love RokuShi. And the idea that sparked this: what would happen if Axel linked ice cream to dating and Roxas and Xion freaked out? I almost called this story "Ice Cream" for that. LOL. **

**Hope you enjoyed! I hope to write more RokuShion soon. **

**And if anyone wants to draw something from this, I will forever love you.**

**Once again, sorry for any typos. I still don't have Microsoft Word. Oh well.**

**REVIEW!**

**-Shanna**


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